Savings and scalable solutions served up by allmanhall’s superb support!
Overview
Taylor and Taylor are a group of family-owned residential care homes. Currently 3 sites, they are in the process of rapid expansion with several high end openings already planned, and more on the horizon. As a result, they approached food procurement experts allmanhall looking to achieve scalable cost savings and efficiencies to support their growth, without any detrimental impact to the excellent quality of their food offering and their residents’ dining pleasure.
Background
Taylor and Taylor’s Group Executive Chef, Chris Rees initially started discussions with allmanhall at a National Association of Care Catering Training and Development forum.
allmanhall are premier partners of the NACC for the award-winning food procurement support and savings they provide to residential care home teams. Chris Rees was very mindful that a successful growth strategy, staying true to Taylor and Taylor’s high standards and focus on resident experience and wellbeing, would require a long-term partnership approach and shared values.
What was needed?
Taylor and Taylor’s desire was to achieve at least a 5% food cost saving and to ensure ongoing effective management of catering budgets despite food inflation. The required outcomes also included quality produce, consistency of supply and standards and the ability to continue buying certain brands, high end cuts of meat and excellent fish.
Operationally, visibility of data and access to reports and insight to help inform decisions was identified as key, as was ease of ordering and management of stock and deliveries on a more day to day basis. Administrative efficiencies and support for growth ambitions, from a solution that is both scalable and sustainable were also essential. The entreaty for continued exceptional quality and constant improvement came across very clearly.
allmanhall listened to these needs and tailored an expert solution to deliver exactly what Taylor and Taylor were looking for…
The results?
allmanhall undertook a like for like benchmark using recent and thorough invoice data from Taylor and Taylor. Through this analysis and via negotiations with suppliers, allmanhall identified cost savings – with no detriment to produce quality or dramatic changes to delivery windows – of 11.4%. More than double the initial objective!
While the benchmark was underway, allmanhall delivered tech demos of the catering control platform that Taylor and Taylor would benefit from, to ensure it met their needs. Samples and on-site supplier meetings were also arranged on behalf of the homes, to confirm that the quality was to the required standard.
As well as providing useful operational functionality like stock taking and standing orders, the catering control platform proposed would also give access to management reports and facilitate central billing and conversion of all supplier invoices in to 1 per month (per home or per cost centre as preferred). Taylor and Taylor were very impressed with the administrative efficiencies and time savings this would bring and how it will help them as they grow.
Reassured that the solution proposed would meet their needs for a procurement partner, Taylor and Taylor took the decision to proceed…
Here to help...
Almost immediately, a new butchery solution was speedily but competently implemented, to help Chris and team with a specific supplier challenge they had been experiencing prior to working with allmanhall.
Meanwhile, the full mobilisation of all other catering-related suppliers was expertly managed by allmanhall, on behalf of the homes. As well as setting up accounts, delivery windows and order sheets with suppliers, thoroughly briefing them on Taylor and Taylor’s requirements, allmanhall also took care of the homes’ catering team training. This included acquainting them with the catering control platform and EDI invoicing procedure, through hands-on training sessions as well as videos to refer back to and a point of contact should they need future help-desk support.
The homes were provided with 3 fully set up tablets to help them place orders, access buy rights, delists and product availability updates, as well as to facilitate stock taking to reduce their wastage. These tablets also provided access to The Pass, allmanhall’s client portal that makes useful resources and reports so simple to access.
The team at allmanhall have been on hand throughout and continue to provide support and to manage the supply chain for Taylor and Taylor. From handling supply challenges so the team can focus on catering for residents, to introducing new suppliers or products. From mitigating and negotiating down proposed price increases to providing refresher training on platforms as needed. From dramatically reducing the number of monthly invoices the accounts team are processing to just 1 per home to exploring innovations when it comes to medical consumables and other items…
allmanhall are providing support to Taylor and Taylor at every level. There is Director level involvement, not just for strategy but also to ensure day to day priorities are addressed and the very best service is received. Be it credit notes or crate collection, no job is too small and allmanhall make sure everything gets sorted!
allmanhall are delivering food cost savings to the clients’ satisfaction and have gone on to proactively carry out a review of all spend, broken down by home and with insights regarding categories, cost per resident and recommendations regarding product alternatives, especially in the butchery category, to drive further cost savings for Taylor and Taylor.
The food procurement experts have also been proactive with regards to suggestions for enhanced control and management of food spend, to further facilitate growth and scalability.
Next steps? Ongoing cost savings and efficiencies, day to day as well as longer term planning and strategy sessions at a leadership team level… but first allmanhall are organising a wine tasting event as a treat for the residents at one of the homes! Ultimately, allmanhall and Taylor and Taylor are in absolutely agreement that incredible experiences for the people that matter most are at the heart of everything they do.
What did the client say?
“From day 1, the care and attention provided by allmanhall has been exceptional. The team truly listen to us, to what our challenges are and are always willing to help in any way they can. Their approach is thorough and responsive, meaning we feel fully supported. Everyone we’ve met from allmanhall has been hands-on, down to earth, genuine and considerate.
I’ve been impressed by the savings we’ve already seen, the flexibility regarding suppliers and by the excellent quality. The consolidation of invoices into 1 per month is a huge win.
We have relationships and contact with people across the allmanhall team – all there to help and to advise or resolve depending on what we need. With challenges around labour shortages and food inflation, this is hugely valued. It frees up the team and gives us peace of mind.
I would wholeheartedly recommend allmanhall’s services to others in the care sector and I look forward to continuing to grow our offering and provide outstanding food for our residents, with allmanhall as our trusted partners.”
– Mr Chris Rees, Group Executive Chef at Taylor & Taylor
